Teaching autistic students: a preliminary exploration of trainee teachers’ experiences, knowledge, and self-efficacy

Purpose
This paper aims to explore the self-efficacy of trainee teachers from one higher education institution in England, as well as their knowledge of autism, experience of educating autistic students and their training needs.

Design/methodology/approach
This study used a cross-sectional design by means of a mixed methods approach. A sample of 31 trainee teachers from one higher education institution in England responded to a survey, which included a measure of teacher self-efficacy (The Autism Self-Efficacy Scale for Teachers) and autism knowledge (Autism Spectrum Knowledge Scale General Population). Eleven trainee teachers engaged in a follow up interview.

Findings
Trainee teachers’ knowledge of autism was comparable to that of the general population. Self-efficacy to teach autistic students varied considerably among trainee teachers. A thematic analysis of findings identified three main themes; (1) gaps between theory, inclusive intent and practice, (2) systemic barriers to true inclusion and (3) institutional cultures.

Originality/value
Findings from this preliminary exploration into the knowledge, experiences and self-efficacy of trainee teachers working with autistic students in England suggested that specialist knowledge of autism, teacher self-efficacy and opportunities for training were lacking. A more consistent approach to delivering evidence-based training is, in-part, what is needed to promote the inclusive education of autistic students.

Keywords:Autism, Teacher training, Inclusive education, Autism training, Autism knowledge, Teacher self-efficacy, Developmental disability
Introduction
Autism is defined, within the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-5, as a developmental disorder, while a diagnosis of intellectual disability (ID) refers to deficits in both intellectual (i.e. an intelligence quotient score two standard deviations or more below population norms) and adaptive functioning (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Autism and ID often co-occur, with estimates suggesting that approximately 30%–47% of autistic individuals have ID (Baio, 2018; Postorino et al., 2016). Autistic individuals have varying degrees of strengths and challenges in relation to social communication, social interaction and social imagination described by Wing and Gould (1979) as the triad of impairments. More recent concepts of neurodiversity and the social model of disability have challenged traditional ideas that describe autism as a “disorder” (Dwyer, 2022). Rather, autism represents a natural variation within the spectrum of human cognition and the difficulties experienced by autistic people are understood as resulting from a non-inclusive environment that does not accommodate the needs and individual characteristics of autistic people (Pellicano and Den Houting, 2022). The social model of disability which emphasises social structures in the construction of autism (Dwyer, 2022) underpins the need for further research into more systemic issues that perpetuate the exclusion of autistic students.

The prevalence of autism varies across the world, affecting about 1%–3% of children (Chiarotti and Venerosi, 2020; Elsabbagh et al., 2012; Jiang et al., 2024; Shaw, 2025). Reported figures have suggested that 33% of students in England with an Education Health Care plan have Autism listed as their primary type of need, amounting to 132,200 students (Department of Education, 2025). More broadly, the number of students in schools in England with Special Educational Needs has increased from 2024 to over 1.7 million (Department of Education, 2025). Throughout an individual’s educational journey, autism with/without mild ID may affect every aspect of their experience, including social interaction, communication, sensory processing and cognitive functioning (APA, 2020; Chen et al., 2009). Therefore, it is essential that teachers understand the unique characteristics of autistic students and how best to support them with learning.

Worldwide educational inclusion policy (UNESCO, 2017), as well as legislation and guidance in England (Autism Act, 2009; Children and Families Act, 2014; Equality Act, 2010; SEND Code of Practice: 0–25 years, 2015; SEND and Alternative Provision Improvement Plan, 2023) has supported the educational inclusion of autistic students in mainstream education. Despite a drive by policymakers for autistic students to be included in mainstream classrooms, there has been a lack of appropriate support for staff and students leading to challenges when teaching (Costello and Boyle, 2013; Department for Education, 2018; Humphrey and Symes, 2013; Symes and Humphrey, 2011). Consequently, autistic students are more likely to be excluded from school when compared to other groups of students (Department for Education, 2024a). Figures have suggested that exclusions of autistic students more than doubled between 2010 and 2021 from 2,282 to 5,988 (Department for Education, 2022a). As many as 43,040 (30.1%) of autistic students were persistent absentees in 2020/2021, accounting for nearly a third of all autistic students (Department for Education, 2022b). Furthermore, Ambitious About Autism (2022) highlights the prevalence of exclusions not accounted for by government statistics, whereby many autistic students experience “informal” exclusions.

Most recently, The National Strategy for Autistic Children, Young People and Adults: 2021–2026 (2021) outlined government objectives to improve the support provided by schools to autistic students and outlined government aims to increase teachers’ understanding of the specific needs of autistic students through the provision of autism training and professional development for staff.